Heart Ache

Ned Weeks is angry as hell. A disease with no name is killing gay men in ever-increasing numbers, and he's the only person who seems to care. The media won't cover it, Mayor Koch doesn't care, and his own community -- the gay men at risk -- is pursuing a course of polite requests for help. As the death toll rises, Ned's fury burns hotter and louder, but can he shout loudly enough to wake up the powers that be? Larry Kramer's semi-autobiographical drama The Normal Heart was written in the crucible of the 1980s AIDS crisis, reflecting the fear and stridency of the era. HotCity Theatre presents The Normal Heart at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday (September 12 through 27), with 3 p.m. matinees on Saturday (September 20 and 27). The show is performed at the Kranzberg Arts Center (501 North Grand Boulevard; 314-289-4063 or www.hotcitytheatre.org), and tickets are $20 to $25.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 3 p.m. Starts: Sept. 12. Continues through Sept. 27, 2014